Run Away is another mystery series coming out of Netflix’s extensive deal to turn Harlan Coben mystery novels into TV series. This one is complicated and twisty as per usual with interwoven plot lines and surprises.

Run Away has a big cast with several threads in the story being told at once. Let’s see if I can describe them briefly without spoilers.

The Family

Simon (James Nesbitt) and Ingrid (Minnie Driver) are the parents of three children. Paige (Ellie de Lange), Sam (Adrian Greensmith), and Anya (Ellie Henry). Paige and Sam are at university. Anya is still at home.

Ingrid has a sister, Yvonne (Ingrid Oliver), who is Simon’s business partner.

Paige changes dramatically, starts using drugs and hanging out with a druggie named Aaron (Thomas Flynn) who is not a good guy.

Aaron gets killed. Paige disappears. And Simon is the cops’ number one suspect for the murder.

The Cops

Isaac Fagbenle (Alfred Enoch) and Ruby Todd (Amy Gledhill) are the police. They latch onto the idea that Simon did it and take forever to enlarge their view to include other suspects.

Even when there are other murders of men about Aaron’s age who all have something in common, they stick to the Simon narrative.

The Private Eye

Elena Ravenscroft (Ruth Jones) was on her own quest involving her personal life and her mother-in-law Lou (Annette Badland) when she was hired to look for another missing person, and ultimately for Paige.

She was a former cop and a great detective. My favorite character in this big cast.

The Landlord

Cornelius Faber (Lucian Msamati) owned the rat-trap of a building where Aaron and Paige had been living. In the basement next door were some nasty drug dealers who supplied the neighborhood with drugs.

What are These Two Doing?

We meet Ash (Jon Pointing) and Dee Dee (Maeve Courtier-Lilley) driving around doing we don’t know what at first. But you can see a gun in Ash’s hand in the photo; that’s a big hint.

What Happens?

The main action in the series is Simon running around doing all sorts of dangerous (and stupid) things looking for Paige. As more people get hurt and killed, he tries to convince the police he’s not a killer and he gets Elena Ravenscroft on the case helping him.

There are switches and surprises in every episode. Secrets held too long interfere with progress. Simon chases every possible idea, jumps to conclusions, but eventually ends up almost where he wants to be.

It was obvious to me from the beginning who really killed Aaron. That spoiled the suspense for me and made some of what Simon was doing look misguided.

I do have to credit James Nesbitt for being really good as the desperate dad. Maeve Courtier-Lilley also turned in an exceptional performance.

It wasn’t a perfect ending. Some unwanted turns and troubling facts left lingering issues at the end. Not a cliffhanger ending, just an uneasy ending.

All 8 episodes are available on Netflix. If you watch it, I’d love to hear your response to the ending.